Sport

At school, we sometimes tend to oppose athletes and artists. However, sport and art often mix and sublimate each other. The meeting of these two disciplines is frequent in the history of art and more particularly in contemporary art. 

Already during Antiquity, the Greeks devoted an absolute cult to the perfect athletic body. On pots and vases, artists painted the exploits of the competitors of the first Olympic Games in the 8th century BC.

Whatever the medium (photography, painting, sculpture, collage...), the musculature and the psychological state of the sportsmen, the places of training or the competitions are inexhaustible sources of inspiration for the artists. Between the representation of reality and the hijacking of a symbol, sport is a recurring theme for young artists.

Discover with Artsper our Olympic podium of artworks!

Photography is probably the first medium that comes to mind when representing sports. It is the only medium that allows us to capture images of the athletes' prowess at full speed. Thus, the shots are taken on the spot to offer a better rendering of the movement and to manage to capture the palpable tension on the field, the team cohesion, the crucial moment...

A leader of the new wave, Gerry Cranham had a career in athletics before becoming a coach. Passionate about photography, he takes pictures of the young people he coaches in order to correct their position and analyze their stride. Very quickly, he decided to convert his hobby into a real job. He became a sports photographer and quickly built a reputation as one of the leading sports photographers in England and internationally. His pictures of rugby, soccer, tennis, wrestling and swimming were published all over the world in the most prestigious magazines such as Sport Illustrated or The Observer. 

But sport also inspired painters and it is found in all artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1853, Gustave Courbet painted "The Wrestlers", a large oil on canvas depicting two men practicing French wrestling in the old hippodrome of the Champs Élysées. To the right, in the background, one can see the audience, cheering the athletes. Among the Impressionists, Claude Monet developed his technique with "Les Régates d'Argenteuil", an 1872 painting in which the boats are reflected in the water in a magnificent way. In modern art, Nicolas de Staël's "Les Footballeurs" represents a soccer field in the middle of a match, but in an abstract way. The players are discernible thanks to the flat colors that make up the team jerseys. 

You too can bring your passions to life through contemporary sports paintings, sculptures and photographs. Discover the work of well-known and emerging artists such as Victor Spahn, Isabelle Picarel, Michel Birot, Chiara Dazi and many others... 

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Sculpture, Jordan street art, Spaco

Spaco

Sculpture - 22 x 24 x 6 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 9.4 x 2.4 inch

$305

Painting, Lutte, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

$390

Painting, Passion, Christian Raffin

Christian Raffin

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$463

Painting, Real Madrid, Esteban Vera

Esteban Vera

Painting - 89.9 x 70.1 x 5.1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 2 inch

$1,400

Photography, Baseball, Nir Hadar

Nir Hadar

Photography - 80 x 120 x 5 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 2 inch

$3,500

Photography, Roger, Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,340

Painting, Marathon, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,401

Painting, Athlétisme 10, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 9, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 8, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 7, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 6, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 5, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,680

Painting, Athlétisme 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$3,046

Painting, Athlétisme 3, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,706

Painting, Athlétisme 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 81 x 65 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 inch

$2,680

Photography, Serena, Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 40 x 60 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 inch

$1,279

Painting, Attaquant, Aurino Jottar

Aurino Jottar

Painting - 100 x 83 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 32.7 x 1.2 inch

$4,325

Painting, Les Joueurs, Aurino Jottar

Aurino Jottar

Painting - 83 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 32.7 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$4,325

Fine Art Drawings, Calcio, Alexander Daniloff

Alexander Daniloff

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 20 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 7.9 x 0.1 inch

$110

Photography, Marine Stadium II, Jill Peters

Jill Peters

Photography - 101.6 x 152.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 inch

$5,000

Sculpture, Discobole gold, Spaco

Spaco

Sculpture - 28 x 24 x 3 cm Sculpture - 11 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch

$305

Photography, Twins, Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 40 x 60 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 inch

$1,340

Painting, Benzema, PyB

PyB

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$231

Painting, After the rain, Zhao De-Wei

Zhao De-Wei

Painting - 77 x 231 x 4 cm Painting - 30.3 x 90.9 x 1.6 inch

$25,708

Painting, Equitation, Raymond Poulet

Raymond Poulet

Painting - 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

$4,264

Painting, Movement, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$372

Photography, Roger (4), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,340

Photography, Roger (8), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,340

Photography, Serena (3), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

Photography - 30 x 45 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 x 0 inch

$1,036

Photography, Bolchoi I, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,828

Painting, Rugby 6, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,036

Painting, Rugby 5, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,036

Painting, Rugby 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,036

Painting, Rugby 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,036

Painting, Rugby 1, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,036

Painting, Marathon 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$3,046

Painting, Marathon 3, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$3,046

Painting, Marathon 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$3,046

Painting, Marathon 1, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$3,046

Photography, Jean-Pierre Rives, Mark Leech

Mark Leech

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$2,376

Photography, Opéra XIV, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$1,828

Photography, Le concours, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 40 x 50 x 5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

$1,828

Photography, Anissa, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 40 x 50 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 inch

$2,193

Photography, Lamb I, Laurent Gudin

Laurent Gudin

Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,340

Photography, Men II, Michel Birot

Michel Birot

Photography - 40 x 60 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 inch

$1,450

Photography, Abuja, Thomas Hoeffgen

Thomas Hoeffgen

Photography - 42 x 112 x 5 cm Photography - 16.5 x 44.1 x 2 inch

$2,680

Photography, Ecosse, Isabelle Picarel

Isabelle Picarel

Photography - 53 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 20.9 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$1,584

Painting, Rugby 16, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 27 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch

$414

Painting, Rugby 10, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 27 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch

$305

Painting, Rugby 9, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 22 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$305

Painting, De face, Kalus

Kalus

Painting - 60 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch

$609

Painting, Rugby 18, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 22 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$414

Painting, Rugby 15, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 27 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch

$414

Painting, Rugby 14, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 22 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$414

Painting, Rugby 12, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 22 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$414

Photography, Hauraki, Patrick Gripe

Patrick Gripe

Photography - 40 x 60 x 3 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$3,533